INSIGHTS

Serving a rural area has its benefits and its challenges. Sometimes those challenges can spur changes that might not have been considered in the past — like partnering with an organization that could have been seen as competition.

In October 2019, Mountain West Medical Center announced a new working alliance with the University of Utah Health Center. Working together, both organizations became better positioned to meet the requirements of healthcare reform and to continue providing outstanding care to a wider area.

As an academic medical center, University of Utah Health believes it has an obligation to share its resources, clinical expertise, research and educational capabilities with healthcare providers throughout the region.  By affiliating with other quality driven organizations, like Mountain West (and sister hospital Evanston Regional Hospital in Evanston, Wyoming), UUHC proved it  was committed to a collaborative approach to improving patient care.

The alliance helps enhance Mountain West services with telehealth systems, educational programs for physicians and nurses, Air-Med services and more all while streamlining coordination of care and services with a
nationally ranked and regionally respected healthcare organization.  it also helped UUHC earn the designation as the referral center of choice for the types of care not offered locally.

In the end, this affiliation benefits everyone — but most of all it benefits the communities being served by enhanced care.